I'll Help You Hide From Them

Recovery

When I come to, the first thing I see is Kier.

"Kier!" I groan, clutching onto my head as I sit up. Everything feels dizzy and I find that I'm slightly nauseous. I ignore it and try to wake up Kier.

He doesn't move.

"Oh no, Kier don't do this to me, not you too." I gasp, checking him for a pulse.

When I feel the gentle thudding in his neck, I check the bruising on the side of his face.

It doesn't look good. He needs to be at the hospital!

I instantly pull out my phone, calling an ambulance.

"Hello, this is Officer Woolnough. I need an ambulance at 12th Charles Drive immediately. An eyewitness has been injured, it looks like internal bleeding but I'm worried there might also be a skull fracture." I tell the operator.

"Is he conscious? How long has he been like this?" The operator asks.

"He's not conscious. We were ambushed and I was knocked out first, I'm not sure." I answer honestly. "Is the ambulance on its way?"

"Yes there's one in the area. They should be with you soon." The operator tells me. "I've notified your Captain."

I nod, sighing in relief, gently stroking Kier's face.

This makes me aware that my glove has been removed so I immediately pull it back on, groaning a little at how it gets caught on some of the uneven edges of the prosthetic hand.

When I'm done, I notice that there are some pages which have been torn out of Ralph's book.

"Shit!" I hiss, checking the book.

Three pages have been removed but there's a lot of folds on the page I'm on, making sure that it's guaranteed to open on that page.

If we use this for evidence, it will instantly bring my relationship with Ralph into question. That's clearly what the attacker intended.

When there's a knock on the door, I stagger towards it, opening it.

Once I have, they pull me to the side while they try to get me to follow a light, applying a bandage to the side of my head.

"No, he needs more help than I do." I complain.

"You've received a head wound, this could be extremely dangerous if left untreated." The paramedic tells me.

"Is he alright?" I ask the ones who have started checking up on Kier.

"He's going to need an x-ray but he'll make it." The paramedics reassure me.

They practically carry me to the ambulance outside and sit me down while they wheel Kier inside. I carefully stroke over a tattoo on his arm, terrified that he'll be like Ralph and not make it.

When I'm at the hospital, they take me to a special room where they make me take more tests so that I don't have any horrid traumas. They give me a few painkillers and change the bandages when they need to.

Laurence walks in to my room, not looking at all happy.

"What the hell happened?" He demands.

"We were ambushed." I answer honestly.

Laurence gives me a dark look. "I saw the book." He points out.

I give him a worried look. "What's going to happen now?"

"I need to know it wasn't an ongoing relationship." He warns.

"It was just the once, we were still in the academy. I barely recognised him from when we were partnered up together." I defend.

Laurence gives me a cold look for a moment. I'm worried that he'll report me but instead he just nods. "I knew that you loved Ralph, just like I'm sure that you two never acted on your feelings for each other on the job. I believe you." He explains solemnly.

I instantly know that there's something he's not telling me.

"Because you're a very good Detective and if this came out it would ruin your career, I'm going to have to move you off the case. You've been the victim, twice. Ralph would've wanted me to look out for you and keep you safe but no matter what way I spin it, this case is too dangerous and too close to you to allow you to remain as lead investigator. I have to take you off the case." Laurence gravely explains.

"Laurence, please, I need to know why Ralph was shot and why I was abducted. There's no way I can even sleep knowing the man who orchestrated the whole thing is still out there." I plead.

"Drew, you could've been killed just now, just like Kier could've been put in a coma!" Laurence reminds me.

This makes my anger and frustration drop immediately. "He's okay?" I check.

Laurence nods slowly. "He's a little disorientated right now but he'll make a full recovery. When you've both been given permission to work by a medical professional, I will give you two another case to work on." Laurence tells me.

"Can I see him?" I ask with a defeated tone.

Laurence nods, helping me to my feet and guiding me through the hospital to where Kier is.

"Drew!" Kier smiles at the sight of me.

"Kier." I smile back as Laurence sits me down in the seat next to his bed.

"God, I was so scared that something happened to you while I was out." Kier sighs in relief.

"Are you kidding? After I lost your brother, I don't know what I would've done if you didn't wake up." I force a chuckle, rubbing his arm reassuringly. "I was so worried about you."

"Hey, us Kemp boys are tougher than we look." Kier smirks.

"Not tougher than a bullet." I warn.

"Try me." Kier almost taunts.

This makes me smile for at most a second but the memory of watching Ralph die creeps up on me. I feel a twitch as I remember being covered in his blood while doing CPR on him.

What was I thinking? He had been shot in the head! That would've killed him instantly. Why was I so stupid to give him CPR? All of my training just completely went out the window and I screwed up. It's because of me that Ralph's dead and I loved him so much.

I miss you Ralph, please forgive me.